Surgical cast



p M. GERSH ET AL 2,480,849

SURGICAL CAST Filed June 28, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5- Mnr'risEEFEH 12x Ever 5h 4L2, @W M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 6, 1949 UN I TE s TAT ES PATENT QEF I CE ISURGIGAL vCASH.

"Morris Ger'sh and Alex GershIHigIiIa'iiQ- Application June:28,1946,-"Serial"N0. 6805302 .3Glaims. 7.1

This invention .relates to surgery and more particularly to devices forassociation with surgical casts.

:The removal tof surgical .cast s, such as 70f plaster-oi-Paris, isigenerally laborious :to the operator and-painful to athepatient and,after removal, the cast-.cannot-zbe reapplied.

,An .importantnobject-"of this invention is to provide a detachableeorseparableuconnectionfor asurgical cast which may-beincorporated in thecast WhenIfirst .-applied, readi ly separated, without pain ordiscomfort .-tothe patient, when the cast is to be removed .-:&I1d whichpermits the cast to be. againappl-iedii, desired.

Another important object is'to .providesuch a detachable .or separableconnection which, While strong, issso :constructed that it; is flexible,whereby it will-conform readily to the contours ofthe body, even when itis necessary to place a cast over parts disposed at sharp angles-such asat. theelbow of the arm.

Still another important object is to provide a connection as describedwhich will provide a continuous groove, constructedtand. arrangedtoreceive a suitablecutt-ingtinstrument whichtmayt be manipulated byralever-age action, -the-construction of the parts of .the connectionbeing such that,-.despite this leverage action, the patient will not be.injured:nondiscomforted during-detachment or separatio thecastwillnotbeidamagedas by breakingaway of the connection,-atthe-sametime. I

Since the line ofsseparationof the connection is relatively farremoved-from the vicinity of-the patients skin, when .itisdesiredtoreapply the 35 The ,castfAwhichV,embowesltherjmention may cast, therewillthe noinjurytothe patient, .due to rough -or ja ed edges whichmaybe, formed during the. ,separationaof the connection.

Other. objects and. advantages of the. invention will beapparentduringthe following-detailed 440 closed byrthe .cast

description. of. the'invention taken in connection with. the.accompanying drawings,.,.forming= .a-rpart thereof, and inwhichidrawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan vnfsatblank forming the. major portion,of thenovel .-connection. V

,Figure 2 is a side elevation-of, this. maiorpor tion, formed into theshape shown in vertical transverse cross section in Figure3.-

.Figure 3 is,a.verticaltransverse.section of the majorpo'rtion oftheconnector.

IEi'gurejiis a "fragmentary,.-p1an..of the minor orsecond portion. ofJthe, novel ..connector.

. Figure 5t isa vertical.isectionsottandili'igure I6 i s-an endelevation of a novel support for as- ..of the connection, and

(Cl. 1'28,-i91) sociation :with a-zcast \zemploying The connector.:Figure 7 r illustrates application :of ithe :devices of .Figure litoifi:to-iascast about a 1 limb.

:FigureiitS .is fan; eniargedaview; partly in'xvertical 5longitudinalsection,sci the showing in Figure .7.

Figures is averticalzt-ransverse section-through a preferred form of theinovelr-smajor portion :of

the-connector.

Figurezlo' is-amerti'cal sectional-view'of' theitwo connector portionsimbeddedswithin a cast, which latter is shown, ;only:-'as:1a3inagmentthereof.

Figure illiis fa. vertical se'cti'onal view, somewhat :enlarged -overthat "of Ei'gure 11 0, showing the connection separatedandlthe cast-oiFigure 1 removed from the part which it enclosed.

Figure :12 is via =-vertieal longitudinal section through :a modifiedfo'rm ot ithe maior portion of the connection.

Figure 1:3 is a thereof.

Figure 14* is"'a-plain v iew -of a cutting instrument which -may beemploy-ed to separate the connection portions *o'f Figures 2, 3,= 8,"'9,"10, 12 and13.

In the drawings, {wherein tor; the purpose of illustration are shown apreferred and a modified form of the invention, the letter A" maydesignate the cast as 'a-'whole the letter B, the preferred form of theinvention-comprisingypreferably, the

portions '0 and D; while amodified-form thereof comprises, *pref'era'jly, the"portionsfD. and F; LG designates asuppo'rt fora'ssoci-ationwith the cast A; and H a suitablecuttingiinstrument, employed toseparate *thepin-ajor-portion -of. the, novel connector.

2 vertical 1 trails-Verse section include *a suitablehardcnedplastic l5,such as plaster-of-Paris, laid idown or. applied upon the outerifaceof asuitablemateriali'lfi, disposed, between the .east'material ..an'd",the,.part A to be .en-

wrappings 'ofgp'aper and;is..appliedvto thepart to be enclosedbyitheeast ,prior .to .the application .ofithe connection"B.,or;E. .,Asis well-known in the ,jart -fabric or .like .material may betincorporated with. the .plastic I 5, ..as will ,be sub-'-sequent1y..exp1a1ned. V v

The =detachable, conneetion B iorsthetcast --A .includes thedetachableportions' Grand. D.

:The w-.detachable comlection pcrtion C -.;com-

prisesasstrrp. t1 of-tseverabletniaterialwsuchas tin,

stee1,. hardened .p1astic.orntheslike. iThe qnalities oi the materialarersuch asspemnit. it to be trashr-ioned. into the iOrIIl; ShQWI1:,inrl tignrerBg to iretain this form while in use but, preferably, suchthat This 7 materi'a1 J6 .may vbe the form may be readily altered, as inFigure '7, to retain that form.

As may be seen in Figure l the blank 18 from which this strip I! may beformed, includes a central, longitudinally extending section i3 and aplurality of spaced-apart, like, sections 20 extending transverselythereof so that there are spaces 21 between each section 20. Thesections 20 may be provided with openings 22 and 23.

This blank l8, when bent or otherwise formed, as shown in Figures 2 and3, provides a continuous, longitudinally extending ridge portion 25,made up of the section IQ of the blank. The walls of the ridge portion25 form a substantially V- shaped depression 26 and, extendingdownwardly, in substantial parallelism from opposite sides of the ridgeportion 25, are a plurality of leg portions 21, whereby the ridgeportion 25 with its walls, forming the V-shaped depression, and oppositeleg portions 21 form substantially an M, as may be seen in Figure 3.

Extending outwardly from the lower ends of the leg portions 21 are feetportions28 which, as may be seen'in Figure 3, form substantially rightangles with the adjacent leg portion 2'1. The leg and feet portions areformed from the sections 20 of the blank, with the openings 22 and 23disposed in the feet portions.

By fashioning the strip ll, whereby the leg and feet portions on eachside of the ridge portion are spaced one from the other, providing theplurality of spaces 30, corresponding with the spaces 21 of the blank[8, and making the ridge portion 25 quite narrow, the strip [1 may bereadily manipulated to curve either longitudinally or transversely.

As may be seen in Figure 9, the free ends as of some of the feetportions 28 may be upturned, to form acute angles with the associatedfeet pertions 28, for a purpose to be subsequently detailed.

Referring to the connection portion D, this comprises a strip 3| ofsuitable flexible material, which may be similar to that of theconnection portion C, provided with a plurality of transverselyextending slots 32 preferably of a length slightly greater than theWidth of a leg or foot portion 21 or 28.

The portion D may be associated with the connection portion C byextending the former almost half way, or almost wholly, around the partto be enclosed by the cast and outwardly of the material !6, until theportion C is: fairly taut and inserting the upturned free end 23 of afoot portion in the nearest slot 32 as in Figures 10 and 11.

The modified form E is much like the form B, the only materialdifierence being a change in the form of the connection portion F overthe portion C.

This connection portion F, shown particularly in Figures 12 and 13,comprises a strip 35 which has a slightly different ridge portion 36 ascompared with the ridge portion of the connection portion C of Figures 2and ii. The ridge portion 33 is still V-shaped, but comprises aninverted V in transverse cross section, and the leg portions 31 divergedownwardly, joining feet portions 33 which are, preferably, just likethe feet portions 28 and the free ends thereof may be bent upwardly, asat 39, as are the free ends 29 of form C. As is apparent, the blank itof Figure 1 may be employed to fashion the connection of form F. Form F,in conjunction with the connection D may be employed exactly as areforms C and D.

As may be seen in Figures 10 and 11, the cast material l5 isapplieduntil the feet portions are 7 5 from op osit ides of said ridge portign,

imbedded therein and the outer faces of the leg portions are also inadhesion therewith, with the material i5 fillin the openings 22 and 23,whereby the connections C or F are firmly anchored to the material l5.

It should be noted that the slots 32 in the connection portion D havedual functions. They accommodate the upstanding free ends 29 or 39 andthose not so employed accommodate some of the material 15.

Preferably, there are two separate strips I! or 35 employed in anaverage cast, as may be seen in Figure '7. However, more than two may beemployed. They are, preferably, spaced apart an equal distance and sodisposed that when the connections are separated, as will be described,the cast sections may be easily removed.

As may be seen in Figures 10 and 11, the material l5 preferably extendsoutwardly nearly to the ridge but does not cover the ridge, whereby thelatter is in sight and provides a guide for subsequent severance of theconnection. Obviously the ends of the strips H or 35 extend to the endsof the casts.

The cutting instrument H may be any suitable one. In Figure 14 is shownone having a narrow blade portion 40 and handle portion 41. The bladeportion has a short cutting edge Q2 extending transversely of the bladeportion and inwardly of its outer edge section 43 and, facing this edge,is 2. lug 44. The section 43 is adapted to extend partly into the slotor continuous opening 45 in the connections C or F with the cutting edge2 in engagement with the ridge portion 25 or 35, as the case may be sothat the in strument H may be drawn longitudinally of the connection Cor F and thus sever the connection at its ridge portion. In Figure 11 isshown a ridge portion 25 so severed. When severing such a ridge portion,the lug 44 is drawn along the depression 26.

It is now clear that, when so severed, the cast A may be readilyremoved, without breaking it up. It may be reapplied if desired,adhesive tape,

'3 or the like, being employed to temporarily bind the sections of thecast together with the severed sections of the ridge portions incontact.

The cast herein described and illustrated is so practical that ifconditions are otherwise satisfactory and the injury, resulting in theapplication of the cast, was to a leg, the patient may walk about whilethe cast is still in place. For convenience the support G shown inFigures 5, 6 and 7 may be employed. This includes a pair of straps ofmetal or other rigid material having screw threaded sockets or openingsat their lower ends 5|. The upper ends of the straps may be imbedded inthe cast A, so that the lower ends 5| extend outwardly thereof, as inFigure '7, and a substantially U-shaped portion 52 attached to theseends, as by screws 53 with the bight section 54 of the portion 52extending below the cast A and this bight section 56 may carry, on itslower face, a resilient pad 55 as of rubber, to contact a walkingsurface.

Various changes may be made to the form or the invention herein shownand described without departing from the spirit of the invention orscope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a detachable connection for a surgical cast, a strip provided witha continuous ridge portion of severable material, a plurality ofspaced-apart leg portions extending downwardly audafoot portionextending outwardly from the lower ends of at least some of said legportions, the feet portions being constructed and arranged to beimbedded in said cast with said ridge portion extending to the outersurface of said cast,

2. In a detachable connection for a surgical cast, a strip provided witha continuous ridge portion of severable material, a plurality of legportions extending downwardly from opposite upper ends of said ridgeportion, and a foot portion extending outwardly from the lower ends ofat least some of said leg portions, said ridge portion and leg portionstogether being substantially M-shaped in transverse cross section, thefeet portions being constructed and arranged to be imbedded in said castwith said ridge portion extending to the outer surface of said cast.

3. In combination, a detachable connection for a surgical cast, a stripprovided with a con tinuous ridge portion of severable material, aplurality of leg portions extending downwardly from opposite sides ofsaid ridge portion, and a foot portion extending outwardly from thelower ends of at least some of said leg portions, the free ends of atleast some of said feet portions being upturned, the feet portions beingconstructed and. arranged to be imbedded in said REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 817,946 Williams Apr. 17, 19062,206,339 Ulman July 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 463,068Great Britain Mar. 22, 1937 587,069 Germany Oct. 28, 1933

